Returning to the Past
by VengenceGoddessNemisis
Summary: a different path for the Lyoko Warriors to follow an alternate series finale. Jeremy has figued out how to get William back, and Yumi gives Ulrich a sword. Please Read and Review. Completed, save revisions.
1. Intro

This is an alternate timeline that splits off right before the last three episodes of season four, enjoy.

(Most of this chapter is just setting the story up, a rough summary, the real story starts in the next chapter. the first and last paragraphs are the only new bit.)

Ulrich sat staring out the window, watching a single cloud move across the pale blue sky. The teacher was saying something about the Hundreds Years' War, but he didn't care, not really anyway. History always seemed so far away when Ulrich thought about his everyday life. Yumi loved history. When he complained about it this morning, she had said that knowing the past prepared you for the future.

Nothing could have prepared five of Kadic Academy's students for Xana; A malicious and highly advanced computer program whose sole purpose seemed to be total human destruction. These five students, the only ones who knew the truth, were Ulrich Stern, Yumi Ishiyama, Odd Della Robia, Jeremy Belpois, and Aelita Stones. Originally there had only been four students enrolled who knew, seeing as Aelita was found in Lyoko, a virtual world inside the supercomputer that Xana used to attack the school and surrounding area, and had only recently been materialized. A sixth Lyoko Warrior who had only been with the group for a short time was William Dunbar. William's curiosity and determination had lead him to the abandoned factory and the supercomputer inside. Yumi warned the group that William couldn't be trusted, but they desperately needed the help so they let him on the team. On his first trip, William went off on his own and was captured, and he had been stuck on Lyoko under Xana's control ever since.

Aelita's story was just as exciting but in a different dismal way. Aelita had come to live in the city with her father. Her father, Franz Hopper was a note worthy computer scientist, who built Xana and Lyoko to destroy a military project known as Carthage that was designed to disrupt enemy communications. He built Lyoko as a sanctuary for himself and Aelita but Xana trapped them both there. He was lost to the digital sea, at least that was the assumption, until recently when he came to Lyoko to save Aelita. Most of the rest of Aelita's past remains broken and fragmented.

In recent events Xana had been freed from the single supercomputer and now had access to supercomputers around the world, and at each a new duplicate sector of Lyoko was created and could be accessed through the digital sea. They were called Replikas. They could be accessed by using a ship called the Skidbladnir or Skid for short. They needed to shut down all of the Replikas before they could completely destroy Xana and focus on retrieving Franz Hopper from the digital sea.

The school bell rang making Ulrich jump, scattering his thoughts to the wind. The rest of the class filed out quickly. Ulrich stood and slung his book bag over one shoulder, following everyone out.


	2. A New Plan

this chapter is revised with the help of my new editor co426e so all grammar props should be sent to the editor. Enjoy!

"Hey spaceman, are you going to eat that?" Odd's face filled Ulrich's vision, his trademark smile wider than ever.

"Wha…uh… no I guess not." Ulrich mumbled.

"What?! Ulrich willingly letting Odd have his food? He must be sick." A cool hand touched his forehead. Ulrich looked over at Yumi and blushed; despite the supposedly mutual decision to remain simply friends, Ulrich still had feelings for her.

"He must be sick. His face is all flushed." Aelita commented, grinning devilishly.

"Oh, knock it off, I'm not sick. I guess I was just thinking about everything that's happened… and how many close calls we've had."

Nobody laughed at that, it was too true; it seemed more often than not seconds separated life and death.

"But that's why we do it, so eventually there will be no more close calls, and someday no one will be hurt by Xana ever again." Aelita said looking at each of them.

"Yeah," said Jeremy when her eyes stopped on him, "and to save you father."

Aelita smiled brightly and Jeremy blushed.

"Lyoko Warriors, Defenders of Earth!" Odd shouted standing on his chair and pumping his fist in the air.

"Will you keep it down Odd! Us normal people like peace and quiet during lunch, right Ulrich?" Sissi Delmas, Daughter of Principle Delmas, said leaning on Ulrich's chair.

"I didn't know the normal people chose a freak as a representative." Odd jeered.

"Yeah, you're doing a great job!" Ulrich added snorting.

Sissi stormed off in a huff follow closely by her two cronies Hervé Pichon and Nicolas Poliakoff. After they were out of earshot the whole group burst out laughing.

Ulrich turned back to Jeremy, "So anything on the agenda for today?"

Jeremy opened his laptop and hit a few keys, "Nothing on the Xana front but I am going to run an update on the Replika scan program to see if I can get anything of use from the data in the Replikas. Other than that I guess you could run a few drills in the Skid."

"Good idea Jeremy I'm tired of being the only ace pilot out there." Odd struck a ridiculous pose.

"Whatever you say Odd." Ulrich scoffed.

"Say what you want but you know it's true." Odd acted like he was offended by the very idea of them doubting his prowess.

"Well I guess we'll see each other later. I'll give you hand after my next class Jeremy." Aelita collected her tray and put it away.

Everyone else followed suit soon after.

Yumi sat on the spare bed in Jeremy's room with Aelita, while Ulrich and Odd sat on Jeremy's. Sitting on the swivel computer chair was Jeremy, who turned to face the group, his computer whirring softly behind him.

"What's up Jeremy, why the urgency?" Ulrich leaned back in his elbows.

"Well, with Aelita's help, I finished going through the data I got from the scan upgrade, and in the information was a cypher."

"English please, Einstein." Odd said sighing.

"Sorry. To get right to the point when I added the cipher, we got this." Jeremy Spun around and hit a few keys on the computer and a new window opened. Jeremy moved off to one side.

As they watched, dozens of little red dots appeared on the screen

"Are they…?" Yumi's voice was small and frightened

Aelita spoke in Jeremy's stead "All Replikas, yes."

"This will take years and we won't last years." Ulrich managed to control his voice.

"Yes that's why I called you all here. I may have found a much faster way to destroy Replikas, but when we do it will be the hardest mission we've ever attempted."

"What do you propose?" Yumi's voice was back to normal.

"We launch a wipe program all over the entire network of Replikas at once; it will act like a shockwave frying every computer that even has a trace of Xana in it."

"What's the catch Einstein?" Odd knew it was never that easy.

"If anything goes wrong we might not be able to fix it, it will probably fry our own supercomputer in the process."

"So we'll just have to be careful in the real world, no biggie."

"Yes it's a big deal. Xana's not stupid. As soon as we make a move he'll throw everything he's got at us, no holds barred."

"You see, it's like Ulrich said earlier, we have had some very close calls, it would be terrible if this was the one we miss on." Aelita shuddered at the thought.

Yumi put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry Aelita, we'll be at our best just for you."

Aelita nodded, smiling a little.

"But first we have to get William." Jeremy's face was set like stone.


	3. Mount Up

"What?" the three Lyoko warriors intoned in unison.

"While I was going through the data I found the base code for Williams control program and wrote an antivirus for it." Jeremy steepled his fingers

"How do we go about using this program?" Yumi leaned forward putting her elbows on her knees.

"I'll load the program into your weapons; all you have to do his hit him to the point where he devirtualizes." 

"Oh sure…" Odd flopped back on the bed.

Jeremy glared at Odd ", and the program will take over from there."

"How sure are you that it will work?" Ulrich was wary of having Xana's most powerful agent on their end.

"Ninety percent sure." Jeremy laced his fingers together in front of his face.

"It is also a step closer to saving my father." Aelita looked down folding her hands into her lap.

"When do we leave?" Yumi asked her voice flat. 

Ulrich felt something in his chest pull tight but he nodded in agreement.

"As soon as possible, the more time we have to plan this thing as a full group the better chances we have of surviving." Jeremy walked out of his room followed in a single file line by the rest of the Lyoko warriors.

Jim passed by and was going to ask them where they were headed but for a reason he couldn't remember he left them alone, he knew for some odd reason it was important. When they got outside Sissi's group was standing outside and Herv started to follow them to see what they were up to but Sissi pulled him back. They ran into the woods and down into a manhole cover, at the bottom of the ladder were four skateboards and two scooters; the only way to travel through the sewer system, that spread throughout the city.

The group had the route so well memorized that they could spend the travel time thinking about the mission ahead. They climbed out onto a cement suspension bridge that led to an abandoned factory, where the supercomputer was housed. To the ignorant eye this looked like an ordinary abandoned factory what no one outside their group knew was just under the surface, three subfloors below was the most powerful computer in the entire city. The group swung down on ropes that hung from the ceiling and landed in front of a service elevator, once they were all inside Jeremy hammered the button on the control panel with his palm, the doors slid shut and the elevator descended. At the first subfloor the elevator stopped and Jeremy got off, this was the main control room for the computer in the center was a holoprojector, an arm with a chair and key interface swung in an arc around it. Jeremy sat here slipping a headset on and nodded to the group as the doors slid shut again.

The rest of the Lyoko Warrior's got off at the second floor in a room with three towering tubes, these were the scanners which made transport of materials between the virtual world and the real one possible. No one in the group, not even Jeremy, could fully explain how it all worked they just knew it did.

Aelita and Yumi stepped into the scanners and the doors began to close around them.

As they did Odd called "See you ladies on the Flipside!"

Ulrich just shook his head slowly Odd could crack jokes even in the most dangerous situations. Upstairs Jeremy issued commands to the super computer using both the keyboard and a voice command system.

"Scanner Yumi, scanner Aelita, Transfer Yumi, Transfer Aelita, Virtualization." As he did all of this two virtual models of the girls showed the progress of the program and would tell him if anything malfunctioned. 

As soon as the process was finished the doors hissed open the compartments were now only filled with steam, Odd and Ulrich stepped into the empty scanners. Each could hear Jeremy's mantra as the scanners activated a band of light slowly scanned each of them, hence the name, gathering the necessary data, then a wind and a blinding light enveloped them. 

In Lyoko the girls watched a wire from of the boys appear over their head and a light traveled down the form adding a virtual skin that simulated hair, clothing and any other surface.

"See I told you, you couldn't keep me away for long." Odd said his goofy grim firmly in place.

"Odd can we please just focus." Ulrich didn't even look at the purple warrior, his eyes fixed on the corridor. 

The pad they landed on speeding on its way to the Skid hanger. They all headed Ulrich's words and didn't speak think about the mission to follow. After they got off the transport then ran down a corridor and to a lift that lead them to the hanger proper where they all leapt onto their individual transfer pads. The plan was to head to the nearest Replika and make to deactivate it like normal in the hopes that William would show up. It was very likely he would It was one of the few things they could trust about William that and his loyalty to Xana. 

Aelita got the Skid powered up while Jeremy released the docking clamps. The Skid was a ship designed to sail the digital sea. Its full name Skidbladnir was the name of a legendary Viking warship. They exited the hanger and dove into the digital sea, Aelita steered the Skid to the nearest Hub and dove it traveling at light speed to the nearest Replika. They burst out of the hub tensed for any signs of trouble the tree Warriors in the Nav-skids; mini ships that could be ejected to defend the Skid, each had independent interfaces and a full weapons compliment. 

"Replika ahoy captain Aelita." Odd called through the comm.

"I see it." Aelita deftly manipulated the controls in front of her and steered the Skid toward the Replika.

The Replika looked like an armored dome floating in the sea with a pipe jutting out of the bottom. Aelita pulled the Skid right up to the capped end of the pipe.

"Sending docking key now." Aelita intoned as she flipped a switch.

"Docking key received, you clear for entry." Jeremy's voice came on over the comm.

The Skid traveled up the pipe and pulled up alongside a tower on the virtual land mass they had come to know as the mountain region, they ship connected to the tower.

"Okay Odd you know the plan, right?" Yumi asked as soon as they were all outside the ship.

"Yeah, Yeah, go to the supercomputer then get a safe distance away. Wait until Einstein gives the signal then get myself out of there. When you've got William under control we all skedaddle back to Lyoko and to Earth to see if it worked, I Know." Odd whined

"Wow an idiot can be taught." Jeremy's voice did not need his body to relay the sarcasm.

"You just do your part Einstein." Odd grumbled crossing his arms as his tail swished side to side.

"Teleport Odd." Odd vanished in the digital word and reappeared in a snow bank.

"Yikes it's cold! I sure hope William doesn't decide to be fashionably late." Odd rubbed his arms trying to keep them warm.

"Looks like you're going to get your wish Odd, 'cause here comes William and he's not alone. Get ready guys." Jeremy watched everything from his screen.

"Rolling Tanks and Blocks, a few friends we haven't seen in a while." Ulrich drew his twin Katanas.

"We should go reintroduce ourselves." Yumi's fans spun out with two smart clicks.

End Chapter 3

A/N: thanks to everyone who is watching this story, and to those who reviewed. I hope to stay pretty close to the nature of the beast as it were, so nothing terribly ostentatious. But I hope it will still live up to expectations. To those who have looked at my other unfinished stories I swear this one will be finished.


	4. Meet the Enemy Head On

Chapter 4

Welcome back all yea faithful readers shall we begin?

I got through this bit fast so an early update.

As always I wish I owned what I write about but sadly do not.

The monsters came forward with William in the lead grinning wickedly. Aelita hung back, because she, being the target of almost every attack in the past, had learned to stay behind the others and develop a defensive fighting style rather than an offensive style.

"Odd you can head back now, Transport Odd." Jeremy executed a return and Odd appeared in the Skid, out cold.

"Odd's in the Skid, devirtualize William and get out of there fast. There is a literal army headed you way!" Jeremy watched hundreds of red lights move across his screen.

"He's not making it easy." Ulrich grunted as he caught William's broadsword between his Katanas.

Yumi was busy with the other monsters the two Blocks were history, one Rolling Tank had rolled itself off the edge with Yumi's help and she was in a standoff with the other.

"Yumi!" Ulrich yelled he was in a losing battle of strength with William; the boy's broadsword getting closer to Ulrich's face inch by inch.

Yumi leapt high into the air, twisting and flipping in midair; she used one fan to slice through the target on the tank and threw the other in William's direction. He blocked it and it went skittering away. Yumi used the resulting explosion to get higher and tossed her other fan, at the same time William knocked Ulrich to the ground, he straightened and threw his broadsword just like one of Yumi's fans. The sword easily knocked the fan away and kept spinning where it cut through Yumi devirtualizing her.

Back in the real world the scanner door slid open and steam flowed out followed by Yumi she gripped the sides of the scanner and stumbled out. She made it to a wall and slid down to await the outcome.

In the virtual universe Ulrich used William's temporary distraction to drive both of his Katanas into William's chest. At the same time Aelita, forgotten, fired an energy sphere at William's head. He groaned an fell back, instead of disappearing into a cloud of smoke like before his body slowly melted away in the red form of data that signaled a devirtualization. Ulrich let out a breath, and re-sheathed his Katanas.

"Did it work?" Ulrich panted fighting William was always a work out. Aelita walked up to him smiling.

"Yes!" came Jeremy jubilant reply, "Yumi says he's a bit disoriented but fine!"

"We did it!" Ulrich pumped his fist in the air and Aelita clapped her hands together happily. They had finally taken away Xana's most powerful weapon.

"Devirtualization." All three exited the scanners to a happy Yumi and a very groggy William.

"Welcome back to the land of the living." Ulrich extended his hand to shake William's

"Yumi told me what happened, I'm really sorry guys." William hung his head

"Don't worry about it," Odd said smiling, "everybody's been turned into a Xana zombie at one time or another, even Aelita." Aelita bobbed her head in agreement.

"Yeah if anything we should apologize for putting you in so soon without proper training or for not being there to back you up." Ulrich added helpfully

"Let's just let bygones be bygones and ready for the next task, okay?" Jeremy's voice boomed over the speakers a little annoyed.

"Sorry Jeremy but we have been fighting William for months now. We need a little time to reorient." Yumi snapped back at him.

The group rode the elevator back up to the control room. Jeremy spun his chair as they all walked in, the holosphere behind him displaying the digital sea. After all of the assembled Lyoko warriors were comfortable, some leaning some sitting, Jeremy leaned forward pushing his glasses higher on his nose.

"Okay this is how I see it; Xana will most likely try to destroy us on all three fronts as soon as he figures out what we're trying to do. Those would be here on earth, the Skid and whoever we send to the offsite supercomputer. We'll work like this Yumi and Ulrich will stay here on earth, they have the most skill here on earth. Odd, you will go to guard the Skid; you have the best chance against multiple targets, and William, Aelita you two will transport to the supercomputer. Aelita is the only one who can upload the wipe program successfully."

"But why does William have to go with Aelita, I think he should stay here on earth and Yumi go with Aelita." Ulrich spoke up.

"No William's virtual incarnation has been augmented by Xana he's our most powerful Virtual warrior, I want him with Aelita."

"But Jeremy, remember what happened last time William was alone with Aelita, and that was when it wasn't so dangerous." Yumi's concern was well founded

William needed to say something, "Look I know last time I screwed up but I swear this time I'll die before I let Xana take control of me." William shuddered

"Why don't you want me to stay, Ulrich do you think I'm not good enough to watch your back?" Yumi's words would have hurt if she did not smile while saying them

Ulrich stammered, "No…I… that… I didn't mean it like that." His words were lost in muttering

Yumi laughed and Ulrich blushed. The remains of the day were spent going over the plan, the plan that would finally end Xana's threat.

End Chapter 4

A/N: what did you think, why don't you let me know by sending a review my way? See all of my loyal readers real soon with chapter five. The battle flags are raised as the soldiers draw their swords, till next time! ;) To Desparidy Crescent Moon: be patient chapter 5 is mostly YumixUlrich 


	5. Gifts from more than Friends

Hail and well met loyal readers your dear goddess brings great joy and another scintillating chapter.

As I have said I own nothing that I write about, to spite my greatest desire to the opposite. I guess just wanting it does not always make it so even for a goddess.

Without further ado our story continues…

"So we all know the plan." Jeremy's eyes roved over the Warriors, "we'll meet back here again this evening. Do whatever you need to do to be ready tonight."

All of the Warriors dipped their heads in grim agreement and parted. Jeremy and Aelita stayed at the factory to run tests on the wipe program. Ulrich headed to the dorm to get changed but left a little bit later to go to Yumi's house, she requested to see him there before they went to the factory. William went to replace the polymorphic clone that had been parading around as him during his absence and then went to the gym to work out and calm his nerves. Odd got Kiwi and took him on a very long walk.

Ulrich knocked on Yumi's door and she opened it smiling warmly.

"Hi, Ulrich come on in everybody's out at Dinner I told them I had a big test to study for, so they agreed to let me stay home." She stepped aside and let Ulrich walk in. she lead him into the living room and they knelt on the Tatami mats around the table. On the table itself, were two cloth wrapped objects.

Yumi spoke first, "My family has an heirloom, and you have seen it, the suit of samurai armor. But we have another heirloom, these." Yumi indicated the two long objects.

"These belonged to a great samurai and his wife; she was also trained in the way of the sword. They lived during the years of war and revolution. My ancestor gave up his status as a samurai and became Ronin, both him and his wife. They fought for the revolutionaries because they both saw the ways of the shogunate as wrong." She picked up one of the bundles and looked at it thoughtfully "this blade has a legend tied to it, it is said anyone who stands before a great army will find the strength to return home to the ones they love." She unwrapped the sword and drew the blade revealing the characters on the steel.

"It says 'Sword of the Beloved'." She snapped the blade back into the sheath and set it aside on the cloth. She picked p the second sword. "This sword also has a legend that travels with it, if one draws this blade before an insurmountable enemy the one who wields it will be given the strength to protect all those who stand behind that warrior." She drew this one also the same style Japanese characters were etched on the side, "the name given to it is 'Sword of the Protector'." Yumi put the sword back in the sheath then held it out to Ulrich on her open palms.

"You would honor my family and myself if you would wield this sword in the oncoming battle. I shall carry this one." Indicating with her head the other sword.

Ulrich gingerly took the sword from Yumi's hands testing the weight; it was heavier than the swords he used on Lyoko.

"I am honored by this but are you sure you want me to use this it might get damaged in the fight, won't your parents be angry?"

"No these swords are mine. They were given to me on my fifteenth birthday, as is the custom in my family. The armor will be given to my brother on his Seijin shiki, or coming of age, he becomes an adult when he is twenty years old."

"Why are the swords given to you when you are fifteen?" Ulrich loved hearing all of the stories Yumi had to tell about her family history it was the only history he really cared about.

"As the story goes it was on the Fifteenth birthday of the samurai's only daughter that both he and his wife were killed by the Shinsengumi. It was the day she inherited her father's lands and property." Yumi stood and Ulrich followed.

"I know these are a bit heavier than the ones on Lyoko shall we go outside so you can get a feel for the blade." Yumi scooped up the Sword of the Beloved and walked to the back door.

Ulrich followed behind her like a puppy. She walked out into the setting sun strapping the sheathed blade onto her waist. She stood in the center of the yard while Ulrich sat on the steps watching her; he had never seen her use a sword before. She rested her left hand where the hilt guard and sheath cap met and flicked the sword out a few inches with her thumb. She then gripped the hilt with her right hand next to the guard, and using a quick draw method she pulled the sword out, as the blade came free it sang, a high clear note. With the sword above her head it caught the dying light of the sun casting a glowing aura around her. She then changed the angle of the blade and brought it down into her right hand. Her next moves were poetry in motion. Each movement was perfect, her and the sword flowing like wind and water together as one being. Ulrich watched in silence forgetting the sheathed sword in his own hands watching the beauty in her form and the passion of her soul.

"Ulrich?" Yumi's sword clicked into its sheath "Is something wrong, you haven't spoken."

"No, nothing is wrong I just had no idea you had such skill with a sword." His words held the awe that had its match in his eyes.

"You never asked." She smiled shyly. She sat beside him and her nearness drove him to his feet.

He strode confidently into the center of the yard. He gripped the swords hilt tightly and drew it quick with no pretense, following the curve of the blade. The blade arched to the heavens as though pointing out the path to the newly risen moon. A horizontal strike that moved with the horizon and towards Ulrich bringing the hilt to his open hand. His sword style was about power and direction of force. His was almost an opposite to Yumi's style, her's blended the stokes into a deadly dance maintaining power throughout where his would cut many enemies down leaving little strength for a second wave. His sword flashed out like tongues of fire his feet as solid as the ground they touched. Even thought they were as different as fire and water each style spoke of the unison of body and blade.

Yumi sat watching him in a similar way as he did her. She smiled sadly what she did not tell him, was the two who held these swords died in the final battle of the Bakamatsu protecting key members, who after that day went on to create the building blocks of the new government. The similarities were too many and she knew it would make Ulrich uneasy. The armor that Hiroki would inherit was the armor of the Protector, right over the heart of a man would rest there was a jagged crack where a sword had been driven though it.

After they were finished they decided to head back to the factory. They took the long way there their idle chatter was about all the adventures they had shared thanks to Xana and the conversation eventually turned to their first meeting.

As I recalled, I gave you quite a thrashing." Yumi said

"I decided to go easy on you I didn't know at the time you had such skill. I was underprepared. I believe the second time ended in a tie."

Yumi stopped walking "How about after all of this is finished we find out once and for all who is better." Yumi held out her hand.

Ulrich took it and shook it fiercely "Deal." His watch glinted and her check the time.

"We should probably hurry."

"Yeah wouldn't want to keep Jeremy waiting." Yumi laughed but it died in the face of what was to come.

They walked the rest of the way without talking everything that needed to be said was said, or at least that is what they both convinced themselves. They only noise was their shoes on the road and the clink of the twin swords at their sides. The rest of the group was already there, when the two came so armed it set a very serious somber tone.

"Do you think you guys will need those?" Aelita asked worried for Jeremy.

"Better to have then and never draw them then to let whatever Xana send out way into this room." Ulrich looked at the soft blue walls.

"Odd, Aelita, William why don't you head down into the scanner room. See you soon Aelita." Jeremy's voice was a forced calm

"We'll head up to the factory floor." Yumi and Ulrich rode in the elevator with their friends seeing them off before heading back up.

"See you on the flipside." Odd called as the elevator door shut.

As soon as the doors opened on the factory floor Ulrich drew his sword and drove it through the control panel of the elevator, so now only Jeremy could bring it down.

"Are you ready?" Yumi asked staring off into the distance.

"Never, but I can try." Ulrich rested one hand on the hilt of his sword.

End Chapter 5


	6. The Attack Begins

Chapter 6

Hello to all gather hither to hear this tale your goddess bring relief to stanch the pain of unfinished tales… another chapter but is it the last read and find out.

As I repeat here I own none of the characters here but pry the words written are my own and not stolen from the lips of a better scribe.

Now take you leave of my ramblings and read on, the gift for you loyalty…

"Virtualization!"

Odd, Aelita and William landed on the traveling platform, as the thing slowed to a stop they ran to the edge of the sphere the last layer before the celestial dome.

"Your taxi is on its way." Jeremy's voice echoed in the large space.

They leapt onto the speeding lift. "Great service in this part of town you usually have to wait for hours." Odd said as the platform rose gently sloping with the curve of the dome.

Jumping off, they ran to the Skid hanger.

"Get onto the transfer pads, speed is out goal tonight." Jeremy disembodied voice instructed them.

William looked up at the ship "Wow that is a nice ship."

"I forgot you haven't seen the pride and joy of the Lyoko fleet the Skid." Jeremy voice was filled with pride.

Cool was all William said after.

"Teleportation!"

"This is how we travel the digital sea." Explained Aelita after they were inside

William now occupied the Nav-Skid that had stayed empty for him. The trip was strangely uneventful and the ship soon docked at a tower in a forest region Replika.

"Disembark, Odd."Aelita flicked a switch and Odd appeared on the forest floor waving up at Aelita grinning.

"Good Luck you two." Odd called up jovially.

"William Aelita are you ready?" Jeremy asked

"ready." They answered in unison

"Energize!"

Aelita and William appeared on the roof of another abounded warehouse, where the wind threatened to pull them off.

Over there!" William pointed to a roof access door across the way. They ran towards it.

"Where are we?" she asked shielding her face.  
"I don't know wherever it is there is a serious storm brewing!" William shouted to be heard whipping wind.

Jeremy?" Aelita called seeking his opinion.

"You're in Washington State, North America."

"Wow too bad we can't go sightseeing" William said smiling

"We are here to complete the most important mission we've ever been sent on." Aelita reminded him angrily.

"I know I was just trying to lighten the mood." They reached the door to find it locked. William did not hesitate he just kicked it in.

* * *

Yumi and Ulrich stood at the ready their backs to the elevator. Off in the distance great black clouds billowed lighting crackling between them. The clouds advanced slowly covering the city in shadows.

"Do you think that might be Xana's attack, he has used weather before." Yumi felt a shiver run down her spin as the temperature dropped.

"An electrical storm would fit Xana's M.O." Ulrich added

Lighting stuck an office building sending smaller bolts down its sides. The thunder that followed hit the factory like a physical blow.

"But why lighting, he can't destroy the supercomputer it's is completely insulated."

Another bolt hit another building and another and another. The lighting lit up the sky like camera flashbulbs, temporarily blinding Yumi and Ulrich.

"Maybe he is trying to do as much damage as her can trying to get us spooked, so we fall back until we can figure out what his plan is."

"I wouldn't bet on it, it is too simple and a waste of time, for Xana." Yumi drew her sword, something had caught her eye.

Ulrich drew his sword and scanned their surroundings, he saw it. People, hundreds of people were coming at a run to the factory, each man woman and child had the eye of Xana.

"Xana used the lightning to posses everyone in those buildings!" Ulrich felt his blood run cold; "our swords won't work against them!" he looked at Yumi on the edge of panic

Yumi's voice was even "Have faith in the swords Ulrich, they will not fail us."

"This isn't one of your Japanese legends Yumi!" he didn't look at her.

"Ulrich please." Yumi was still calm.

Ulrich squared his shoulders, "Alright you stay here, and if they get them get passed me your still between them and Jeremy. You told me this sword would give me the strength to protect all of those behind me, I hope you were right."

Yumi held her sword in front of her and nodded curtly.

Ulrich ran at the army of Xanafied citizens dodging their energy blasts, he leapt up and into the first few rows of people. Yumi was right as his sword passed through the polymorphic bodies they were freed from Xana and fell to the ground. The problem still remained there were hundreds of them and only one of him, they pressed closer and closer. One grabbed Ulrich around the middle and lifted him into the air, electricity coursed through his body and his vision started to fade. He vaguely heard Yumi call his name.

* * *

Odd sat on a rock his tail twitching.

"Man, I bored, how did I get stuck with guard duty?"

"Because you the best single fighter on Lyoko and I wasn't about to leave William alone with the skid." Jeremy replied to the rhetorical question

"Oh great, that means I've just got to become less trustworthy."

Since both Jeremy and Odd were both alone Jeremy kept talking to pass the time.

"Life's going to seem a whole lot less interesting without Xana to keep us busy," Jeremy paused, "But not yet there are a bunch of monsters headed your way Odd!"

"Xana's so considerate sending me some playmates." Odd jumped off the rock excited.

* * *

"How's it coming on your end Aelita." Jeremy asked

"Not well," Aelita answered looking down both ends of a hallway, "we're completely lost."

Jeremy didn't answer for a second, "I'll pull up a schematic, you've got to hurry things are getting pretty hairy."

"What's up?" William swung his huge broadsword onto one shoulder.

"Xana's sent an entire army of Xanafied people to the factory, Ulrich's been overtaken and Odd has his hands full with monsters on the Replika."

"Then hurry Jeremy!" Aelita didn't want any of her friends to get hurt.

"Okay go down two floor by way of the stairwell on you left then go down the first corridor heading left, there should be door at the end. Let me know when you get there I'll start opening the conduits for the program."

"Right." They answered at the same time and took off at a run.

End Chapter 6

* * *

what did you think i know to those of you who are looking for fluff there isn't much here but be paitient.


	7. The Great Eye

Chapter 7

Was the last chapter the end, non? Oh well that means you get to keep reading, heh, heh, heh.

Yumi scanned the mass desperately searching for any sign of Ulrich, she heard him cry out and she shouted his name. The crowd seemed to freeze, everyone just stopped moving, all save the ones that had made it onto the bridge. Ulrich strode out of those on the bridge as they stepped aside. Yumi's heart soared, but it didn't last as soon as he was close enough for her to see his eyes her blood turned to ice in her veins. There in the middle of his eyes, where the dark brown used to be was the pulsing eye of Xana.

"No." Yumi's voice was barely louder than a whisper.

Odd laughed triumphantly as another arrow struck true in the center of a Block.

"Two down, eight to go! Hey Einstein mind sending me the overboard this might go a little faster, and it will be loads more fun."

"Overboard coming your way." Jeremy responded hitting a few keys

The overboard appeared a few feet away.

"Thanks! Now you guys are really in for it!" Odd leapt onto the board and it surged forward and up. He leaned back and the board flipped upside down for a second he fired three arrows and destroyed three kankerlots then righted himself. Two flying mantas took the kankerlots' place.

"It's getting a bit crowded here, oh well the more the merrier as I always say." Odd took a wide turn zeroing in on the nearest monster.

"We're here Jeremy but the doors locked!" Aelita and William stood in front of a reinforced steel door.

They could hear Jeremy's fingers clacking on the keys followed by s pneumatic hiss as the lock was disengaged, "that should do it!"

William pushed the door open but fell back when red lasers shot through the passage. "Automatic defenses!" William yelled frustrated.

"Ulrich, no!" Yumi shook her head from side to side frantically trying to change what she saw.

Jeremy opened the CCTV interface again after he disengaged the locks.

"Oh-No!" He saw Ulrich slowly walking toward Yumi, and he saw how afraid she was looking into her friends eyes.

"Guys you have to hurry, Ulrich has been possessed!" he yelled into his mike.

"We can't there is some sort of automatic defense system in the next corridor, can you deactivate them?" Aelita asked

William didn't give Jeremy time to try; he just grabbed Aelita around the waist.

"Supersmoke!" they sank into the floor in a puff of white smoke. A small billow of smoke traveled along the floor marking their passage. As soon as they passed the second inner door, they rose out of the smoke again.

Aelita pulled away shivering "Don't ever do that again." She rubbed her arms.

"Sorry Aelita I guess I'm just used to the cold."

"Why didn't you do that in the first place?" Aelita was angry

"To be honest I wasn't sure it would work and I just remembered that _I_ could do it." William tried to make it better.

The pair turned to the huge computer that whirred softly before them. Aelita ran up to a interface console and started typing after a little while she paused

"Jeremy give me the program."

Yumi flew backwards but landed on her feet. A deep gash on her forehead dripped blood down into her eye, she wiped it away with her ripped sleeve. She struggled to stand and Ulrich's body laughed maliciously.

"Xana you truly have no heart." She whispered looked at the one person she loved more than anything and the one person who was going to kill her. The rest of the Xanafied people were content to sit back and watch this tragic irony.

Ulrich leapt high into the air with a yell and brought his sword down in vertical slash. Yumi stopped it back grabbing the tip of her sword in one hand above her head; the impact sent a shower of sparks around her and drove her to one knee.

Jeremy was watching everything from the CCTV's

"Aelita, William, I have to help Yumi!" Jeremy got up

"Wait, first give me the program, it will take me a few minutes to get it set up properly." Aelita urged him

He sat back down and hit a few keys "There, now I have to go."

"Wait I need a reload fast!" Odd yelled desperately

Jeremy hit a single key initializing a special program he came up with, "there you have unlimited ammo, try to hold them back for five more minutes while Aelita and William upload the program."

"Got it!" yelled Odd

"Now go to Yumi!" Aelita added

Jeremy dropped the headset and leapt out of the chair calling the elevator down.

Yumi held her sword out in front of her each blow from Ulrich's jarring her hands; she now bled from a cut on her cheek, one on her upper arm and one on her left leg. All she could do now was back up to keep from falling over. As she put her foot down she felt her heel hang in the emptiness of the elevator shaft. She was trapped.

"There the program is set we have exactly three minutes to get back to the factory before the program wipes Xana out and another two until our supercomputer shuts down." Aelita turned away from the panel to look directly at William

"Then there is not time to wait for Jeremy." William lifted his sword

Aelita charged an Energy Ball, "On three?" she asked, William nodded

They counted in tandem "One, two, three!" William's sword cut through Aelita, she disappeared, and Aelita's energy ball consumed William as he winked out of existence.

The pair reappeared in the skid and Aelita shook her head to clear the grogginess.

"We don't have time to take the skid back to Lyoko, we have to abandon it." Aelita and William reappeared on the ground surrounded by enemies.

"After all that work I did to keep that thing safe!" Odd yelled in mock alarm

William grunted as a laser from a Block hit him, "At least we won't have any trouble being devirtualized."

"Yep!" Odd winked and gave them a thumb up as he got hit and devirtualized.

William swung his sword out wide catching Aelita and devirtualized her.

"Now it's just me and you, my old friends." William raises his sword and slammed it into the ground as a dozen lasers hit him from every direction.

Williams Scanner hissed open and he stumbled out to Odd and Aelita who were equally out of sorts.

"How much time left?" asked William.

"One minute twenty seconds." Aelita answered checking her watch.

1:15

Yumi held her ground at the elevator shaft knocking aside each strike, but she was tiring she was losing too much blood.

"Ulrich Please, it's me Yumi! Please!" her breathing was getting shallow and labored.

: 40

Jeremy could hear the clang of steel on steel above him even over the clanking and grinding of the elevator.

"Come on, hurry up!" Jeremy willed the elevator to go faster.

He could hear Yumi pleading with Ulrich above him, she was losing.

: 25

Yumi heard the elevator and glanced back, she was too close the elevator, and it would hit her when it got to the top.

Ulrich let out a feral roar that was warped by Xana making it sound digital and lunged at her his sword out in front of him. Yumi hopped forward to avoid the elevator.

: 10

The elevator came to a shuddering stop and the door opened painfully slow.

: 00

Yumi's eyes met Ulrich's and watched as his dark brown irises replace the eye of Xana. Her hand went to his shoulder, gripping it, so tightly.

End Chapter 7


	8. What Is Done Is Done

Chapter 8

Still not the end to this sordid tale? I am sorry but I am a goddess and I delight in the woes of mortals but fear not, all things do come to an end.

To own this would be a joy but I do not, sadly.

The music best suited for this chapter is The Sacrifice from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer soundtrack.

Props to my edtior and chief co426e, without you i would be inundated with flinching and scornful remarks about my grammar.

* * *

"Nooo! Yumi!" Ulrich's eyes flooded with anguish.

She slid down off of the sword; her blood looked like precious gems on the polished blade.

Jeremy leapt forward and kneeled next to her, while Ulrich also dropped down and scooped her up. He put a hand on her cheek where his sword had pierced her. He tossed the dammed thing away.

"No, No, Yumi stay with me, Yumi?" he sounded so lost that Jeremy felt his heart rip.

Yumi's eye fluttered open, her face was so pale.

"What are you doing?! Get to the supercomputer and launch a return to the past!" Ulrich screamed.

Jeremy leapt into the elevator and opened up a secret panel where a secondary set of controls were hidden; Ulrich having destroyed the first. Jeremy punched the button and the elevator lurched down. The door didn't close so he watched the walls race by, urging him on. Tears burned at his eyes but he blinked them away. It wouldn't do any good if he couldn't see the screens. 'This can't be happening!' he thought as he leapt into the chair and set the headset over one ear. 'Not when we just won!'

He typed furiously, "Return to the Past Now!" He yelled into his mike, his voice cracking.

All the screens went black as Aelita, Odd and William climbed to ladder from the scanner room.

"Nooo!" Jeremy howled as he bashed his fists on the keys. He threw himself forward, burying his head in his hands.

Aelita stepped forward "Jeremy what's wrong?" She was afraid.

The elevator came back down again, with the door still up. Inside Ulrich stood with Yumi hanging limp in his arms.

"Jeremy… Please… Launch a Return to the Past… Just this once…Please." He sounded like a little boy.

"Oh-no!" Aelita covered her mouth with her hands.

"No, No!" William yelled shaking his head from side to side.

"Yumi?" Odd didn't say anything else. He didn't move. He couldn't move. Jeremy slammed his fists on the keyboard again. "We won so why?! We risked our lives everyday, we saved hundreds of people, why couldn't we just… Why, why Yumi, WHY?!" he stood his fists shaking at his side.

Aelita ran to him and wrapped her arms around him burying her face in his chest. He slowly hugged her back, the rage ebbing away, leaving him numb.

Ulrich silently walked over, set Yumi down next to the holosphere, and stood, unmoving.

"Where do we go from here?" Odd asked quietly.

"We don't… We can't go anywhere. Yumi's dead and you can't cover this up like when I disappeared." William's voice was hard.

Ulrich walked over to the elevator barely in control and punched the button. It rose out of view as the door in the control room finally closed.

"Where is he going?" William growled.

"Ulrich…" Jeremy whispered in a hoarse tone.

"Let him go." Aelita's voice echoed in the stillness.

Odd and William leaned on one wall, their faces screwed up. Odd couldn't take his eyes off of Yumi and William couldn't look at her. He felt that if he did, she _would_ be dead. Jeremy and Aelita went down to see if they could salvage the supercomputer.

They came back up in the elevator a short time later, their faces grim.

"We can't do anything," Jeremy explained, "The supercomputer is completely destroyed."

There was a creak and Ulrich climbed down from the hatch that lead from the factory floor. Absently Jeremy thought, 'Why didn't I use the ladder? She might have survived…' Ulrich had the two Katanas strapped to his back like he did when he was on Lyoko. He walked over and knelt next to Yumi. He laid his sword at her head and the Sword of the Beloved at her side. He whispered something but no one heard him clearly.

Aelita leaned closer to Jeremy, "What did you say, Ulrich?"

Ulrich took a deep breath and swallowed, "Yumi, she told me that her sword would give her the strength to return," his voice broke, "to return to the ones who loved her." Ulrich broke down weeping. He gently moved a lock of her hair from her face, his tears mingling with the blood. The emotion and the raw pain spread. Aelita leaned into Jeremy, her tears hot on her face. Jeremy's glasses fogged up with his own crying. Odd and William both bent their heads to hide their hurt. Ulrich sat down, his head still hung, looking at his love, lost, his tears falling onto the Japanese characters that spelled out the name of the sword. As he watched, Yumi's face took on a soft blue glow that grew brighter and brighter. Ulrich looked up. Where the holosphere usually was, was a bright blue orb. Out of that orb stepped the most unlikely person, Aelita Stones's father, Franz Hopper.

* * *

R&R please! so do you want to see how it ends then wait until next time!


	9. The Path of Souls

Anon and welcome back I will not keep you please read on,

As always I have not the coin to own this.

Props to my editor co426e again. thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story.

* * *

"Hello my dearest daughter." Franz Hopper said warmly.

"Daddy!" Aelita cried.

"Yes it is me, I finally escaped the digital sea because of your program, but sadly I cannot stay, I no longer posses a physical form."

"What does that mean?" asked Odd.

"It means he's a soul without a body." Jeremy answered Odd's question automatically without taking his eyes off Hopper.

"Yes, Jeremy is right and as so I cannot stay in this world, but because of this I can do one thing. I can right the last wrong Xana wrought upon this world."

"Yumi?" Ulrich was almost too afraid to ask.

"Yes, my boy, Yumi. The passage between this world and the next is still open because of me." Hopper smiled down at Ulrich.

"Ulrich?" Yumi's voice was clear but distant, coming from the blue orb.

Franz turned to the orb and called, "He is here. Come this way, that's it."

"Okay." Yumi sounded a little frightened and confused.

Footsteps echoed in the room, and as the noise got nearer, Franz Hopper began to fade.

"No! Daddy! Don't go!" Aelita cried reaching out to her father.

"I must go. I do not belong here anymore." He said sadly.

"But I need you!" Aelita pleaded desperately. She started to run to him but the orb burst, filling the room with a blinding white light.

When the light faded, Ulrich bent over Yumi and took hold of her shoulders

"Yumi?" Ulrich shook her lightly "Yumi!" Her eyes opened slowly. Amazingly, her injuries had vanished.

"Ulrich!" she wrapped her arms tightly around him and he pulled her into a sitting position.

"It got so dark and I was so lost…" She whispered into his ear.

Aelita had fallen to her knees openly weeping again.

"Please do not cry. This should be a happy day." Aelita's head snapped up and looked into her father's face.

"Daddy!" She ran to him, like she had done so many times before, before they had been virtualized. "But how?" She looked up at him, tears sparking in her eyes

"I guess fate decided you deserved a happy victory and has let me stay here with you." Franz Hopper hugged his daughter fiercely. Everyone was crying again, and Odd and William did not hide it this time. Each of their hearts swelled with joy.

Odd jumped into the air. "Yahoo!" he whooped. Everyone laughed at their goofy friend; it was the most carefree sound to echo off the walls since the supercomputer had been turned on three years ago.

End Chapter 9

Only the epilogue to go!


	10. Epilogue

Odd ran up to his group of ordinary school friends. Yumi leaned over Ulrich, who was sitting on a bench next to Jeremy and Aelita, her arms laced in his. No one had said anything about the change in their relationship. Jeremy typed furiously on his laptop while Aelita looked on, commenting every few minutes on what he was typing.

"Hey Guys," Odd called stopping next to them, "What's going on?"

"Nothing" Said Ulrich.

"Glorious Nothing." Added Yumi.

"How's the novel going you two?" Odd asked looking at Jeremy and Aelita. The pair had decided to publish their adventures in a fictional novel, and they had taken liberties to be sure no one connected the strange events at Kadic with their group.

Jeremy and Aelita looked up, "Ollie has just won his street luge race and is on his way to help his friends on Xenobia fight the malicious computer virus Leve."

"Sweet! What is he dressed as again?"

"A monkey." Aelita answered giggling.

"Right." Odd laughed at the thought.

"Hey Sissi, William!" Ulrich yelled over at the two. Sissi didn't even look at him. Her eyes stayed fixed on William, filled with admiration.

William steered her over, "William was so brave when those people rioted! He ran to every class room after it to make sure no one was hurt!"

Yumi touched the spot where the Sword had run through her and Ulrich laced his hand in hers.

William tried in vain to disentangle himself from Sissi and asked, "Hey Aelita, how is your father?"

Aelita smiled, "He's fine. He got a job in a bookstore and he is trying to stay far away from computers. It's wonderful! We're really starting over this time, as a family."

Sissi looked at her confused for a second, but quickly added it to the list of weird things about that group. She went back to admiring William.

"Well another day another class," Odd shrugged, "this will knock your socks off, I actually studied for that quiz we have next!"

"Wow, let's not be late for that class." Ulrich stood.

"I'll see you later Ulrich." Yumi touched his arm as he passed.

"Yep." He waved behind him.

The Six ordinary students went off to their classes, to take tests and to get homework. Not to go save the world and risk their lives in the process. It wasn't an exciting life, and that was perfectly okay by them.

THE END

* * *

Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed this story I hope you all enjoyed it.

once again as ever i own nothing.

also a great big hug goes to c0436e for their help with my horrendus grammar.

VGN signing out!


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